Referring to milk tea, people often think of black milk tea first. This is a traditional milk tea that is most popular. However, in Taiwan – home of milk tea, oolong milk tea is also very popular with customers. Beyond Taiwan’s borders, oolong milk tea has become a popular beverage, always on the menu of well-known milk tea brands. With the simple ingredients, you can also make yourself a delicious cup of milk tea. Please refer to the instructions below to understand how to make oolong milk tea for everyone.
In this article, you will know:
- What is oolong tea
- Learn about milk tea
- Ingredients for making oolong milk tea
- How to prepare
- Benefits of oolong tea
What is oolong tea?
The word Wulong means black dragon. Pinyin is suitable for wūlóng (乌龙), but oolong (confusing transliteration) has become the most popular spelling in the West.
Oolong leaves are sold oxidized. This means that during production, oxidation is started, controlled and stopped at a number of times before the leaves are considered fully oxidized. This is why you will often hear Oolong described as being in between green tea and black tea. However, like many things in the tea world, it is more complicated than that.
A different step in traditional oolong tea processing is the bruising (also known as shaking or shaking). Leaves are shaken, rolled, or flattened until the edges are bruised. This bruise damages the cell layer and initiates oxidation. Bruising as a processing step is a repeated process in which the leaves become bruised, leading to slow wilting and oxidation.
The process occurs over and over again until they reach the desired oxidation level. The tea leaves are then dried to kill yeast (at a certain temperature) to prevent oxidation and are shaped, eventually dried.
Origin of Oolong tea
Oolong tea originated from Fujian-China, was imported to Taiwan and flourished here before this cultivar was officially brought to Vietnam, successfully planted in Lam Dong and the number of northern mountainous provinces.
There are many thrilling stories about the origin of O Long in China. Readers can follow the story about the origin of the name O Long tea in the article: The origin of the name O Long tea.
Tea varieties grown in Vietnam today are almost entirely Taiwan’s O Long Cao Son variety, this is a small, high-quality mountain tea variety, the output is concentrated in purebred varieties.
A detailed introduction to the O Long tea production process
The harvest starts with fresh tea
When picking leaves for oolong production, the tea collectors wait until the buds on the tea tree have opened and thickened. Depending on the intended shape of the final product, the picker will pluck anywhere from three to five leaves at a time. The reason for picking the older, thicker leaves is because they are able to withstand the intense kneading and shaping of the Oolong production process.
Nip
Oolong is usually wilted in the sun or in diffuse light under a mobile outdoor shade. Once the leaf is bruised, the withering process continues, usually indoors. The wilt process varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, but the goal of wilting is the same: prepare the leaves for further treatment by softening them. Withered tea leaves allow the fragrance to develop.
Bruising / oxidation
A separate treatment step for HOW Long is bruising. The goal of leaf bruising is to initiate the oxidation process. To do so, depending on the tea type and the producer, the leaves will be rolled, vibrated or even curled (as is the case with many new varieties of Oolong).
When a leaf is bruised, the cell walls in the bruised part of the leaf are broken, initiating oxidation. The leaves are then allowed to wilt and oxidize before further bruising. This repeating process continues until the desired level of oxidation of the tea maker is reached.
Wulong is commonly referred to as semi-oxidized tea and as such can be done at a variety of oxidation levels. The greenest oolong teas are oxidized to about 5-10%, while the redder ones are almost oxidized to black tea, around 80-90%.
Destroying yeast
Once the desired oxidation level is achieved by repeatedly bruising the leaves and allowing them to wither, they are heated to prevent further oxidation. Most oolongs are fixed by hot air in a drying oven.
Shape
Traditionally, the wulong is processed into two different shapes: a half-ball shape (also known as a pellet shape) and a strip shape (also known as a striped shape). Pelletized oolongs are shaped using an iterative process called kneading, in which the tea leaves are wrapped in cloth and kneaded. When this is done, the leaves clump together and form a tight ball. The leaf mass is gently separated and then kneaded into the fabric again. This can take several hours.
In most commercial applications, kneading is done by machine. However, small-scale handmade tea makers still knead the tea with their hands (or even feet). The strip-shaped oolong is rolled by hand or by machine without the use of cloth. They are twisted in length rather than rolled into a ball. During the rolling process, the amount of pressure exerted on the leaves is carefully monitored so that the leaves are not ripped apart.
The presentation of the finished tea is very important to the tea maker and a tea with a large stalk ratio is considered a lower quality tea. Stems are picked from finished tea leaves by hand or by machine prior to being packed and transported. Sometimes the stalk is left on the finished leaf when sold. After all, this is a very laborious process.
Dry and roast
In commercial production settings, oolong tea is dried in large electric or gas-powered ovens. Smaller craft production lines use baskets on hot coals to slowly dry the leaves. This is often referred to as first drying.
Oolong will usually undergo a second drying process, also known as roasting. Roasting is done to increase the flavor of the tea and to help preserve it for a longer time. Sometimes the error during processing can be hidden with a strong roasting step.
Learn about milk tea
Milk tea is a combination of tea and milk. When it comes to milk tea, we will immediately think of cool milk tea glasses with sweet sticky pearls. However, this is a form of milk tea that was recently invented in Taiwan. Or, in a familiar way, ‘Taiwan milk tea’.
Before Taiwan milk tea, there were other famous milk teas as well. Born earlier is the British milk tea. Milk tea was born in England in the 17th or 18th centuries. At this time, drinking tea was considered a hobby of the aristocracy and wealthy merchants.
But one problem is that hot tea makes porcelain cups more susceptible to rupture due to the heat. It should be noted that porcelain at this time was extremely precious because it had to be imported from distant China. So the British came up with a way. That is to put a little milk into the cup of tea first, then pour the tea in after. This will make the tea cooler, and the tea will also taste more delicious by combining with milk.
Milk tea from the UK is considered to form the foundation of the famous milk teas later. From Taiwanese milk tea to Thai milk tea or Hong Kong milk tea. But did you know that milk tea has been around for hundreds of years before tea appeared in the UK. In the vast meadows of Mongolia.
TYPES OF FAMOUS MILK TEA
Taiwan milk tea
This is the most famous milk tea in Vietnam. So of course we’ll start with this milk tea.
Taiwanese milk tea is basically just tea and milk as well. But there is a completely different point compared to other milk teas. It’s Taiwanese milk tea with boba seeds, so this tea is also known as bubble tea.
The origin of Taiwan milk tea is also very vague. Because some of these tea shops claim they are the inventors of the Taiwanese-style milk tea. However, one of the most widely recognized tea houses is the Chun Shui Tang tea house in Taichung. And according to the owner of this tea house, the Taiwanese milk tea he came up with was also very accidental.
In the 1980s, the Japanese economy developed rapidly. People’s economy is also much better, so the demand for Japanese tourism abroad also increases. And Taiwan is one of their favorite destinations.
Chun Shui Tang Teahouse is like any other tea shop in Taiwan that serves a Chinese-origin tea drink. Basically, tea is a must drink hot. But on hot summer days, drinking hot tea for Japanese tourists is quite difficult. So the favorite drink of these tourists is cold coffee.
That’s why tea shop owner Chun Shui Tang has come up with a way to attract customers. That is to add ice to the tea. It is this menu change that makes the tea shop a very attractive place for tourists. Helping the tea shop open some other branches in the city.
What about pearls? Boss Chun Shui Tang asserted that it was he who invented the addition of pearls in 1988. But there is also a very popular theory that adding pearls is another teahouse’s invention. The name is Hanlin.
No one knows the clear origin of Taiwanese milk tea. But one thing is for sure, this milk tea is not merely a movement. But this can be called literally ‘global phenomenon’. Because the milk tea shops appear at breakneck speed. From the corners of Saigon street, to the streets of New York or London.
Black sugar bubble fresh milk. One of the newest Taiwan milk tea cravings. Although it does not use tea, it still has 2 basic ingredients of Taiwanese milk tea, which are milk and pearls.
Thai milk tea
Thai milk tea is probably second only to Taiwanese milk tea in terms of popularity. There are many Thai dishes introduced into Vietnam. This is thanks to the large number of Vietnamese tourists visiting the land of Golden Temple every year. The demand for Thai cuisine in Vietnam has also increased dramatically. And thanks to that, Thai milk tea appears in many Thai restaurant menus in Vietnam.
No one knows how Thai milk tea was born. One theory is that this milk tea was invented by the royal servants. Tea drinking began to appear in Thai royal circles around the end of the 19th century. At this time, Thailand has been embracing Western culture openly.
When you see British people coming to Thailand have the habit of drinking English milk tea. And know that drinking tea is a noble habit in England. Then the royal Thai world also began to get used to drinking this strange tea.
After serving the tea, the servants in the royal palace, instead of leaving the tea grounds, they use the tea grounds to make their own drink. However, after making tea, the flavor is not much. So these servants came up with a way to add spices and herbs. And so Thai milk tea was born.
Even so, there is no official record for this. But one thing is for sure, Thai milk tea was born when condensed milk began to appear in this country. And the addition of spices and herbs is probably influenced by the Indians living in Thailand.
Hong Kong Milk tea
One of the most prominent features in Hong Kong’s street food culture is milk tea (yeet lai cha). The rich black or red tea combined with the unsweetened condensed milk has been an indispensable part of many Hong Kong people for more than six decades.
Hong Kong milk tea was born when the port city was a British colony. At this time British tea is only served in upscale restaurants and hotels. And of course the majority of Hong Kong people do not have the conditions to enjoy.
But after World War II ended, black tea combined with milk was ‘popularized’ and became a drink of all classes. To be more suitable for everyone’s pocket.
Ingredients for making oolong milk tea
Oolong tea
Currently on the market there are many oolong tea products for you to choose from, they come from Taiwan, China or Vietnam. In particular, oolong tea usually only uses the form of loose wings (round tablets), or the triangular filter bag keeps the round shape of the tea leaves, but does not cut the tea leaves like green tea or black tea bags.
In order to prepare a drink that suits your taste and customer’s taste, you should proactively choose oolong tea with the right level of fermentation. With low fermentation, oolong tea will lean towards a light bar like green tea. Types of red tea oolong, roasted oolong have a higher density, creating a strong effect, combined with milk is still very prominent.
Fresh milk, condensed milk, specially formulated milk powder, milk cream
These are the ingredients that make the aroma, fat, greasy and harmonious flavor of milk tea. Fresh milk and condensed milk are often used in home preparation. As for specialized concoction powder, milk cream is often used in the preparation of large quantities at milk tea shops.
Diameter or sugar syrup
Both types of sugar are suitable for use in concoctions. Note that with diameter you need to dissolve well, but with sugar syrup, you buy products available, or prepare in the ratio of 2 sugar: 1 water.
Water and ice
Use cold boiled filtered water and pure ice to make tea, helping to taste the tea correctly, without the chlorine or metallic odor of unfiltered tap water.
How to prepare
Boil water
Fill the kettle with water and heat on the stove over medium to medium heat until boiling.
Many teapots have a siren when the water is boiling, but if your kettle does not have a whistle, you may need to pay attention.
You can also use a small saucepan or electric kettle to boil the water.
Note that water can be boiled in the microwave, but it is recommended that you boil it in short 1-2 minutes intervals to avoid overheating. You should also put a wooden chopstick or something safe in the microwave in the water as you heat it.
Put the tea leaves in the teapot.
With this type of milk tea, oolong tea is often popular. You can also use green tea or black tea, but white tea is too light.
For a more traditional yet fun taste, you can also try an herbal tea blend. It is especially suitable for flower teas, such as rose tea. If you use herbal tea, add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of tea leaves.
If you prefer a stronger tea flavor, you can add the tea instead of keeping the tea brewed for longer.
If you don’t have a teapot, you can put the tea in the saucepan when you boil the water, but you should turn off the heat after you put the tea in the saucepan.
Brew tea
Cover the pot and let the tea infuse for 1-5 minutes.
Green tea should be brewed for about 1 minute, black tea can be brewed for 2-3 minutes. These teas may be more acrid if aged for longer.
Oolong tea should be kept for 3 minutes for best, but this tea reacts better when brewed for a long time and does not produce the same acrid taste as green tea or black tea.
Herbal tea needs to be steeped for 5-6 minutes and won’t taste acrid if it’s accidentally brewed for a little longer.
Slowly pour the milk
Pour more milk when the tea is absorbed, stirring gently each time pouring.
Do not pour milk at once. This will dilute the tea.
If possible, you should avoid setting the milk temperature above 15.5 degrees Celsius. When the milk is heated for too long, the degraded protein causes the milk to begin to smell.
Strain tea into cups or glasses
Pour the tea through the tea filter into the glass.
If you don’t have a tea filter, you can use a sieve or tight mesh to filter it. You need some tea filter to prevent the tea leaves from falling into the glass.
Benefits of oolong tea
Do you like to enjoy a cup of oolong tea in your spare time or sit and chat with people who have the same spirit? This habit not only relaxes, supports weight loss but also helps you prevent many diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer …
Oolong tea is a partially oxidized green tea that retains its own pure flavor and has many healthy nutrients. Thanks to the partial oxidation, tea retains the polyphenol content, which helps prevent free radicals, the risk of cancer and many other diseases. We will join you to learn more about oolong tea and the health benefits of this precious herb.
Oolong is a rich flavorful tea, used in many socializing and enjoying.
Oolong tea is appreciated for its ability to help the body limit the absorption of fat when eating oily foods, thus effectively supporting weight loss.
In addition to being used as a popular beverage, oolong tea also offers many unexpected health benefits from the special medicinal ingredients in tea buds:
Theanine and aromatic compounds: Theanine is the amino acid responsible for creating umani or “delicious” for tea, and has the effect of creating palatability, enhancing the taste. The aromatic substances in tea help refresh the spirit and reduce stress.
Caffeine in tea in the form of a hot water soluble caffeine tanat creates aroma and reduces bitterness. Caffeine in tea has pharmacological effects to help awake, increase heart activity, prevent blood clotting and diuretic. Unlike the free caffeine of coffee, tea’s caffeine tanat does not interfere with calcium absorption into the body.
Tannin accounts for 26-28% in oolong tea leaves is a powerful antiseptic, of which EpiGalloCatechin Gallate (EGCG) is a substance with 100 times stronger antioxidant capacity than vitamin C and 25 times of vitamin E to help “clean up. “Free radicals are inherently responsible for damage to the DNA structure, causing cell damage that leads to cancer, so EGCG helps in the treatment of cancers of the breast, bladder, lung, liver, esophagus, pancreas, and stomach.
Vitamin C (found in green tea and oolong) helps to increase resistance, prevent colds and flu. Vitamin E slows down the aging process, improves skin.
Polysaccharides play an important role in reducing blood sugar, preventing type 2 diabetes
Gamma-AminoButyric Acid (GABA) helps in lowering blood pressure
Fluoride and catechin help prevent tooth decay, bad breath, and protect your oral health
Nutritional ingredients of oolong tea
oolong tea contains a lot of vitamins, minerals and very good antioxidants. A cup of brewed oolong tea will contain about:
- Potassium: 1% of daily requirement
- Sodium: 1% of daily requirement
- Magnesium: 1% of daily requirement
- Niacin: 1% of daily requirement
- Manganese: 26% of daily requirement
- Fluoride: 5 – 24% of daily requirement
- Caffeine: 36 mg
Some of the antioxidants in tea, called polyphenols, are theaflavins, thearubigins and EGCG. Oolong tea also contains theanine, an amino acid that has the function of calming and relaxing.
In addition to caffeine, oolong tea contains a lot of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and healthy polyphenol antioxidants.
What is the effect of oolong tea?
Oolong tea contains vitamins, minerals, amino acids and polyphenol antioxidants that are very beneficial for health, helping to prevent many diseases.
Prevent diabetes
The polyphenol antioxidants in tea work to reduce blood sugar, while also increasing insulin sensitivity.
Many scientists have shown that drinking oolong tea regularly improves blood sugar significantly and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes. Some research results show that people drink 720ml of oolong tea per day. have a 16% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The polyphenol antioxidants can help maintain normal blood sugar levels and significantly reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Good for cardiovascular
Regularly supplementing antioxidants from tea also improves heart health very well. Many studies show that drinking tea regularly can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol as well as reduce the risk of diseases related to the heart.
In a recent study, people who drank more than 1.4 liters of tea per day were 51% less likely to develop heart disease than those who did not drink tea. More in-depth research into the effects of oolong tea also shows that people who drink about 8 ounces of oolong tea per day have a 61% lower risk of heart disease.
Additionally, regularly drinking at least 120ml of green tea or oolong tea per day can reduce the risk of high blood pressure by up to 46%.
Oolong tea may help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure in some people.
Oolong tea for weight loss
Scientists believe that tea polyphenols can boost your metabolism and reduce the amount of fat absorbed through your diet. These polyphenol antioxidants will also activate enzymes that help you use your body’s fat stores.
One study shows that oolong tea can burn about 2.9% – 3.4% of the body’s total calories per day. This is because the caffeine as well as the polyphenol compounds in tea help tea with weight loss.
The combination of caffeine and polyphenols found in oolong tea can burn more calories and fat each day. This results in you being able to effectively use oolong tea for weight loss.
Prevent some types of cancer
Scientists believe that the antioxidants present in black tea, green tea and oolong tea can help prevent mutations from appearing in cells that cause cancer. Tea polyphenols may also decrease the rate at which cancer cells will divide.
A recent study shows that regular tea drinkers will reduce the risk of oral cancer by 15%. In addition, this tea is also effective against lung, esophageal, pancreatic, liver and colorectal cancers. However, many studies have not found a clear effect of tea on some types of cancer such as breast, ovarian and bladder cancers.
Similar to green tea and black tea, oolong tea protects the body from certain types of cancer.
Reduce stress
Drinking oolong tea will help calm your mind, regulate blood pressure and treat headaches. Recent research shows that oolong tea leaves contain amino acids that inhibit glutamate receptors, thereby eliminating the cause of mental stress.
Oolong tea helps to increase resistance, keep the body healthy, fight against external pathogens and help the mind feel refreshed.
Promotes growth of bones and teeth
The antioxidants in oolong tea can help keep teeth and bones strong. One study found that people who drank black tea, green tea, or oolong tea over a 10-year period had 2% higher bone density than others (a higher bone density could reduce the risk of fractures. ).
In addition, many studies also show that drinking oolong tea can reduce dental plaque. This tea is also a rich source of fluoride, which strengthens tooth enamel.
Oolong tea can help increase bone mineral density, strengthen tooth enamel and reduce plaque formation.
Soothes skin with atopic dermatitis
Tea polyphenols help reduce symptoms of atopic dermatitis (eczema). Drinking oolong tea in combination with conventional therapy can help patients with severe atopic dermatitis get better within 1-2 weeks. However, depending on the location of each person, the effects may be different.
The polyphenol antioxidants in oolong tea can help reduce eczema symptoms, and the improvement can last for a long time.
Supports digestive system
Oolong tea has been found to reduce inflammation in the digestive tract, and is especially beneficial if you experience problems like acid reflux or stomach ulcers. In addition, this tea can also prevent many types of harmful bacteria for the gut.
Oolong tea has antiseptic properties and kills harmful bacteria in the gut. The sweet, cool taste of the tea also helps soothe the stomach effectively.
Conclusion
Basic oolong milk tea can be made with ingredients that are easy to find, like fresh milk or condensed milk. However, you need to reduce the appropriate amount so that the tea taste and milk taste are balanced, not overwhelmed by each other. Making milk tea with fat milk powder instead of regular milk is also a quick way to prepare a delicious drink while still ensuring a delicious taste.
So you have grasped the most basic way to make oolong milk tea. Wish you success with the above formula.
